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Marineland making progress on changes to water system

An independent company hired to review the water system for Marineland’s animals has almost finished its assessment, according the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

“It is likely that the external engineer’s inspection will result in changes to the current systems,” wrote Greg Tarry, CAZA’s business manager, in a report on its latest inspection of the park.

Tarry wrote that part of the firm’s mandate was to update the marine mammal park’s water management protocols.

In his Jan. 18 visit, Tarry also found that the water in all pools was “clear and clean (and) there were no problems with colour or odour” and that staffing levels appeared to be sufficient.

Tarry reviewed the health of all animals with Marineland veterinarian Erica Gehring and found no health problems.

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In October, CAZA, a self-regulating industry organization to which Marineland pays annual dues, ordered Marineland to “thoroughly update” its water quality protocols and to complete the work “as soon as reasonably possible.”

At the time, CAZA said records showed that on several occasions water quality in three pools did not meet industry standards and that such instances had an “impact on the well-being of the animals of the pools in question.”

The CAZA review of the Niagara Falls tourist attraction came in the wake of a Star series in which former staffers blamed sporadically poor water and insufficient staffing for ill health among its animals.

As well, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is conducting an investigation into the treatment of animals at Marineland, which is ongoing.

Public Safety Minister Madeleine Meilleur is also conducting a review of the OSPCA, with the intent of beefing up its powers, and is planning to license zoos and aquariums in Ontario.

Currently there are no laws covering captive animals in the province.

In October the Star reported that lone killer whale Kiska had been bleeding off and on from her tail for months. In an earlier report, Tarry said staffers confirmed the bleeding, but that he hadn’t seen it.

In the recent report, Tarry said: “There has been no recurrence of the bleeding in the tail area. The animal continues to be in good health and eating a full ration.”

Bill Peters, CAZA national director, told the Star his association would like to see Marineland acquire another killer whale so Kiska is not alone. “That is our position,” he said.

In the U.S. it is against the law to keep a single killer whale.

CAZA expects the engineering report to be completed shortly and any changes to be implemented soon.

Meanwhile, Marineland faces a series of deadlines imposed by other agencies.

The Ontario Environment Ministry ordered Marineland to stop burying dead animals on its property and issued a timetable for a series of actions, including a comprehensive assessment by an environmental firm of the entire grounds and interviews with current and former employees who have knowledge of grave sites.

The ministry began its investigation after the Star asked about reports from former trainers about four graves, one of which contains more than 1,000 bodies, according to former land animal supervisor Jim Hammond.

The ministry said Marineland had never obtained the required permits for burials. Preliminary testing in December showed there was no contamination of the nearby Welland River.

The OSPCA is expected to check whether Marineland has complied with five orders to be completed by Jan. 31, according to an OSPCA source. The orders included building shelters for deer, a structure to protect bear cubs and examination of some animals’ eyes by a marine mammal ophthalmologist, the source said.

According to a statement, Marineland says it has already complied with some of the orders, such as hiring the ophthalmologist and getting additional veterinary care for sea lion Baker.

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